10. LIAM REDDY Goalkeeper, Central Coast Mariners, 32 Goalkeepers aren’t usually seen to be hard, compared with towering centre backs or midfield generals. But Liam Reddy has never been shy of a beef or two, both in the A-League and in the NSL. Sent off in his NSL days with the Parramatta Power for punching an opponent, Reddy has picked up a sizeable 12 yellow cards during his A-League career. During stints with Newcastle Jets, Brisbane Roar, Wellington Phoenix, Sydney FC and now the Central Coast Mariners, he has been involved in several on-field stoushes. One of the more memorable came against Matt Simon in 2011 where he struck the striker, ironically now a teammate at Bluetongue Stadium.
2 / 10
9. TERRY MCFLYNN Midfielder, Sydney FC, 32 One of the true survivors of the A-League, Terry McFlynn has been with Sydney FC since the competition’s inception. And during that time he has built a reputation as a player prone to full-blooded challenges and stinging tackles. Brought up on lower league football in England, the Northern Irishman has never been afraid to throw his weight around on the field. Over the course of his nine-seasons in the A-League, McFlynn has been handed three red cards and more than 40 yellows, a sign of someone who enjoys a scrap.
3 / 10
8. LEIGH BROXHAM Midfielder, Melbourne Victory, 25 The Victory veteran might be small in stature, standing just 1.69 metres tall, but that hasn’t stopped him continually charging around the park at full tilt and snapping at the heels of bigger players. Brought up through the Melbourne ranks, and toughened up on the training ground by one Kevin Vincent Muscat, it’s clear Leigh Broxham learnt a lot off the ex-Socceroo. Deployable as a screener, attacking midfielder or at times in central defence, the versatile Broxham is a little nugget whose on-field presence always seems larger than it is.
4 / 10
7 . MANNY MUSCAT Midfielder, Wellington Phoenix, 28 No relation to the ex-Victory and Socceroo hardmen, this Muscat is no shrinking violet either. Maltese international Manny has been keeping opponents honest from across the Tasman since 2008. Whether in midfield or in defence, the Victorian Premier League product relishes the tough stuff and getting an edge over a rival. With 40 bookings accrued over his A-League career, Manny has been known to overstep the mark on occasion.
5 / 10
6. RUBEN ZADKOVICH Midfielder, Newcastle Jets, 27 The chrome-domed enforcer commands Newcastle’s midfield with a mixture of aggression and movement. Both at Hunter Stadium and in an earlier period at Sydney FC, Ruben Zadkovich never holds back when the ball is there to be won. A player who seems to ignore FIFA’s decree about tackling from behind, Zadkovich has been booked more than 30 times in the A-League. Tough and unrelenting, the Wollongong Wolves junior sets the tempo for his young Jets side.
6 / 10
5. ADRIAN LEIJER Defender, Melbourne Victory, 27 A street-smart stopper with a steely disposition to boot, Adrian Leijer has been a constant at the Victory since 2005. Along with Leigh Broxham, Leijer has been a product of the Ernie Merrick-Kevin Muscat early years in Melbourne and earned his stripes as a tough tackling and uncompromising defender. Averaging a booking every 3.8 games, the 27-year old has a pillar of strength for Victory fans and a figure of hate for supporters of other clubs.
7 / 10
4 . JOHN HUTCHINSON Midfielder, Central Coast Mariners, 33 The grand old man of the Mariners midfield, John Hutchinson has been clattering into opponents and knocking heads since the A-League kicked off eight years ago. There are few players who inspire more abuse from rival fans than the Maltese international. The third-most booked player in the history of the A-League, Hutchinson provides the grunt and aggression in the centre of the park for Central Coast. His longevity at the Mariners sees him win a spot in the top ten over his teammate, former Sheffield United screener Nick Montgomery.
8 / 10
3 . JACOB BURNS Midfielder, Perth Glory, 35 Currently completing a two-match ban for striking John Hutchinson, Jacob Burns is known for physicality and crossing the line on occasion. The gritty Perth Glory skipper has been terrorising rival players in Australia, England, Poland and Romania for nearly 20 years. Now in his fifth season in the A-League, Burns is the leader of Glory and a feared distributor of crunching tackles around the competition. This former Socceroo has been branded as a thug by some for his no-nonsense style, but this unfairly maligns an ultra-competitor who has achieved a lot in his long career.
9 / 10
2 STEVE PANTELIDIS Defender, 30 With more than 200 fouls committed, over 40 yellow cards awarded and four reds received, former Perth Glory, Gold Coast United and Melbourne Victory defender Pantelidis often went too far. Prone to a brain explosion and a rash challenge, the one-time Chelsea Academy junior and West Ham defender - now in Malaysia - was often in the official’s sights for his robust play. With him and Jacobs Burns in the Glory line-up, Perth rarely gave other teams a moment’s peace on the pitch.
10 / 10
1. KEVIN MUSCAT Defender/Midfielder, Melbourne Victory, 40 He no longer prowls the field for Melbourne Victory, the coach’s box now taking his attention, but no player courted controversy on the park like Kevin Muscat. Once described as “the most hated man in football”, Muscat is notorious across the footballing world. His rap sheet is an extraordinarily long one – from sparking an all-in brawl at Crystal Palace in 1996 and injuring Christophe Dugarry when the Socceroos played France in 2000, to stamping on Watford’s Danny Webber in 2003 and being sued by Charlton’s Matt Holmes for a tackle in 2004 – and it continued during his time in the A-League. At Victory he most memorably tussled with then Adelaide United coach John Kosmina in 2006, stamped on Adelaide’s Daniel Mullen in 2009, elbowed Gold Coast’s Jason Culina off the ball in 2010 and was sent off for elbowing Reds’ midfielder Adam Hughes in 2011. But perhaps his worst indiscretion came in the same year, when he injured the Heart’s Adrian Zahra with a scything tackle in the Melbourne derby. The 46-times capped Socceroo retired soon after, his image as a brutal and unrelenting hard man secure. With a bark nearly as bad as his bite, Muscat’s position as the most notorious enforcer in the history of the A-League is undisputed.
10. LIAM REDDY Goalkeeper, Central Coast Mariners, 32 Goalkeepers aren’t usually seen to be hard, compared with towering centre backs or midfield generals. But Liam Reddy has never been shy of a beef or two, both in the A-League and in the NSL. Sent off in his NSL days with the Parramatta Power for punching an opponent, Reddy has picked up a sizeable 12 yellow cards during his A-League career. During stints with Newcastle Jets, Brisbane Roar, Wellington Phoenix, Sydney FC and now the Central Coast Mariners, he has been involved in several on-field stoushes. One of the more memorable came against Matt Simon in 2011 where he struck the striker, ironically now a teammate at Bluetongue Stadium.
1 / 10
9. TERRY MCFLYNN Midfielder, Sydney FC, 32 One of the true survivors of the A-League, Terry McFlynn has been with Sydney FC since the competition’s inception. And during that time he has built a reputation as a player prone to full-blooded challenges and stinging tackles. Brought up on lower league football in England, the Northern Irishman has never been afraid to throw his weight around on the field. Over the course of his nine-seasons in the A-League, McFlynn has been handed three red cards and more than 40 yellows, a sign of someone who enjoys a scrap.
2 / 10
8. LEIGH BROXHAM Midfielder, Melbourne Victory, 25 The Victory veteran might be small in stature, standing just 1.69 metres tall, but that hasn’t stopped him continually charging around the park at full tilt and snapping at the heels of bigger players. Brought up through the Melbourne ranks, and toughened up on the training ground by one Kevin Vincent Muscat, it’s clear Leigh Broxham learnt a lot off the ex-Socceroo. Deployable as a screener, attacking midfielder or at times in central defence, the versatile Broxham is a little nugget whose on-field presence always seems larger than it is.
3 / 10
7 . MANNY MUSCAT Midfielder, Wellington Phoenix, 28 No relation to the ex-Victory and Socceroo hardmen, this Muscat is no shrinking violet either. Maltese international Manny has been keeping opponents honest from across the Tasman since 2008. Whether in midfield or in defence, the Victorian Premier League product relishes the tough stuff and getting an edge over a rival. With 40 bookings accrued over his A-League career, Manny has been known to overstep the mark on occasion.
4 / 10
6. RUBEN ZADKOVICH Midfielder, Newcastle Jets, 27 The chrome-domed enforcer commands Newcastle’s midfield with a mixture of aggression and movement. Both at Hunter Stadium and in an earlier period at Sydney FC, Ruben Zadkovich never holds back when the ball is there to be won. A player who seems to ignore FIFA’s decree about tackling from behind, Zadkovich has been booked more than 30 times in the A-League. Tough and unrelenting, the Wollongong Wolves junior sets the tempo for his young Jets side.
5 / 10
5. ADRIAN LEIJER Defender, Melbourne Victory, 27 A street-smart stopper with a steely disposition to boot, Adrian Leijer has been a constant at the Victory since 2005. Along with Leigh Broxham, Leijer has been a product of the Ernie Merrick-Kevin Muscat early years in Melbourne and earned his stripes as a tough tackling and uncompromising defender. Averaging a booking every 3.8 games, the 27-year old has a pillar of strength for Victory fans and a figure of hate for supporters of other clubs.
6 / 10
4 . JOHN HUTCHINSON Midfielder, Central Coast Mariners, 33 The grand old man of the Mariners midfield, John Hutchinson has been clattering into opponents and knocking heads since the A-League kicked off eight years ago. There are few players who inspire more abuse from rival fans than the Maltese international. The third-most booked player in the history of the A-League, Hutchinson provides the grunt and aggression in the centre of the park for Central Coast. His longevity at the Mariners sees him win a spot in the top ten over his teammate, former Sheffield United screener Nick Montgomery.
7 / 10
3 . JACOB BURNS Midfielder, Perth Glory, 35 Currently completing a two-match ban for striking John Hutchinson, Jacob Burns is known for physicality and crossing the line on occasion. The gritty Perth Glory skipper has been terrorising rival players in Australia, England, Poland and Romania for nearly 20 years. Now in his fifth season in the A-League, Burns is the leader of Glory and a feared distributor of crunching tackles around the competition. This former Socceroo has been branded as a thug by some for his no-nonsense style, but this unfairly maligns an ultra-competitor who has achieved a lot in his long career.
8 / 10
2 STEVE PANTELIDIS Defender, 30 With more than 200 fouls committed, over 40 yellow cards awarded and four reds received, former Perth Glory, Gold Coast United and Melbourne Victory defender Pantelidis often went too far. Prone to a brain explosion and a rash challenge, the one-time Chelsea Academy junior and West Ham defender - now in Malaysia - was often in the official’s sights for his robust play. With him and Jacobs Burns in the Glory line-up, Perth rarely gave other teams a moment’s peace on the pitch.
9 / 10
1. KEVIN MUSCAT Defender/Midfielder, Melbourne Victory, 40 He no longer prowls the field for Melbourne Victory, the coach’s box now taking his attention, but no player courted controversy on the park like Kevin Muscat. Once described as “the most hated man in football”, Muscat is notorious across the footballing world. His rap sheet is an extraordinarily long one – from sparking an all-in brawl at Crystal Palace in 1996 and injuring Christophe Dugarry when the Socceroos played France in 2000, to stamping on Watford’s Danny Webber in 2003 and being sued by Charlton’s Matt Holmes for a tackle in 2004 – and it continued during his time in the A-League. At Victory he most memorably tussled with then Adelaide United coach John Kosmina in 2006, stamped on Adelaide’s Daniel Mullen in 2009, elbowed Gold Coast’s Jason Culina off the ball in 2010 and was sent off for elbowing Reds’ midfielder Adam Hughes in 2011. But perhaps his worst indiscretion came in the same year, when he injured the Heart’s Adrian Zahra with a scything tackle in the Melbourne derby. The 46-times capped Socceroo retired soon after, his image as a brutal and unrelenting hard man secure. With a bark nearly as bad as his bite, Muscat’s position as the most notorious enforcer in the history of the A-League is undisputed.
10 / 10
The A-League's toughest hardmen...
It might only be in its ninth season but the A-League has already generated a decent amount of enforcers, hard cases and rogues. They are the players we love when they are on our team - but we love to hate them when they’re our opponents. They give out a bruise or two, always earn the ire of the referee and never take a backward step. With Jacob Burns and Tiago Calvano both earning long suspensions, we thought we'd detail the current best hardmen over the history of the A-League.
It might only be in its ninth season but the A-League has already generated a decent amount of enforcers, hard cases and rogues. They are the players we love when they are on our team - but we love to hate them when they’re our opponents. They give out a bruise or two, always earn the ire of the referee and never take a backward step. With Jacob Burns and Tiago Calvano both earning long suspensions, we thought we'd detail the current best hardmen over the history of the A-League.
